Saturday, 18 March 2017

West Ham made to pay by Leicester, after giving away early goals

West
Ham 2-3 Leicester City

Leicester
City continued their recent revival with this narrow win over West Ham in a
highly entertaining game at the London Stadium.

Manager
Craig Shakespeare emphasised his team’s work ethic. “We scored the goals at the
right time and knew that hardwork was paramount to success,” said Shakespeare,
who confirmed his side had started on the front foot, where they left off
against Seville in midweek.

West
Ham manager Slaven Bilic was taken aback that his side had come away with
nothing, having played some of the the best football they have all season in
the last half hour. “There were a lot of negatives in the first half, positives
in the second,” said Bilic. “We deserved something from the game, we created
enough chances.”

In
reality, West Ham were always playing catch up having given away a couple of
soft goals in the opening minutes before pulling one back, only to once
againlet revived England poacher Jamie
Vardy nip in for a third in the 37th minute.

The
game was a mere four minutes old when a hopeful Riyad Mahrez shot came through
a group of players to finish up in the net. The ball bounced and alluded the
unsighted home keeper Darren Randolph.

Two
minutes later the visitors went two up, after Marc Albrighton nodded on a
Mahrez free kick that was then met by the onrushing Robert Huth who headed
home.

West
Ham struck back in the 19th minute, with the inspiring Manuel
Lanzini driving home a free kick from 20 yards, after Michail Antonio was
fouled.

Then
came Vardy’s goal, meeting a corner in the goal area to ram home.

In
the second half, West Ham took almost total control but were constantly thwarted
by the outstanding Kasper Schmeichel. Another Lanzine free kick was pushed
round the post by Schmeichel at full stretch.

West
Ham reduced the deficit in the 62nd
minute when Andy Carroll nodded a corner onto Andre Ayew who headed home.

Schmeichel
though stood firm against any further encroachment, denying a Carroll header on
the line then a point blank stop as the big striker unleashed a shot in the
dying minutes.